A BBC broadcaster has accused a leading comprehensive school of “absolutely
disgraceful behaviour” after claiming that a pupil spat at his wife and
swore at him during a rugby match.

Steve Bunce, a regular on Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk programme, said during a broadcast at the weekend that he and his wife had been abused while watching their son play against Northampton School for Boys.

He said that they were standing on the touchline when a 17-year-old player approached and spat at his wife.

Bunce said on the sports discussion programme: “People I speak to in rugby cannot believe it. In six Olympics and thousands of sports events in 25 years I have never seen behaviour like it from a player. I’m there on the side and suddenly this kid that plays for Northampton, a 17-year-old, called me the second worst word that you can use on the BBC and spat at my wife.

“I have reported him and I have discussed it. Northampton School for Boys, absolutely disgraceful behaviour.” The school denied the allegations on Tuesday and claimed that Bunce had “provoked” the pupil by shouting at him from the sideline. It said the pupil spat at the ground, not at Bunce’s wife, and that while the player admitted calling the broadcaster a “stupid t---”, he denied calling him a “c---” or “p----”.

Rod Goldswain, the acting headmaster, said that he was writing to the BBC to demand an apology. “The pupil says he only swore at Mr Bunce after provocation and this is supported by other parents who were present,” he said.

“Unfortunately he [Mr Bunce] has used his privileged position as a BBC radio presenter to create what he sees as entertainment by criticising and naming a school and attempting to disparage both this school and our town. This is grossly unfair based, as it was, on one isolated incident. Those who know the school will not recognise the presenter’s comments applying to Northampton School for Boys.”

Bunce denied shouting at the boy during the game but added: “In hindsight it was probably not right to mention it on the show. I don’t want the kid to get in trouble, I want him to be reprimanded. Perhaps I should have written to the school and not mentioned it on Fighting Talk. But perhaps some little kid shouldn’t have gobbed or sworn at two people standing on the sidelines on a fantastic winter’s afternoon in Northampton.”

The incident took place during a game in December against Denstone College, Staffs, the independent school attended by Bunce’s son. Northampton School is heavily oversubscribed with a reputation for academic and sporting excellence.

Northampton were beating Denstone 8-0 at half time but Denstone went on to triumph 8-9, with the winning drop-goal kicked by Bunce’s son.